Plastic container with hinged lids

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with a container consisting of a unitary body and of a pair of covering lids, the body and the lids being made of injection molded plastic material. The lids are hingedly connectable to the upper edges of the body through a snap engagement. The lids are thus formed of integral C-shaped projections along their longitudinal outer edge which engage onto integral hinge portions along the upper edge of the body side walls. The lids have their longitudinal inner edge constructed to define a trough allowing water collected on top of the lids to be dispensed trough appropriate openings in the end walls of the container body.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A container comprising: a) a unitary body made of injection molded plastic material having a bottom wall, opposite side walls and opposite end walls, each said side wall displaying, along an upper edge thereof, a series of longitudinally spaced recessed areas, each area displaying, lengthwise thereof, a hinge portion integrally formed with said upper edge of the respective side wall; and   b) a pair of lids made of injection molded plastic material and hingedly connected to said upper edges of said side walls of said body to move from an open position to an inter-engaging body-covering position; each said lid having an inner longitudinal edge inter-engaging, when in the body-covering position, with a complementarily shaped inner longitudinal edge of the other lid, and an outer longitudinal edge having a series of longitudinally spaced C-shaped integral projections snappily engaged with the hinge portions integral with the upper edge of the respective side wall, said lids having opposite end edges which rest on corresponding upper edges of said end walls;   said inner longitudinal edge of each lid including:   a first half portion defining a water collecting trough; and   a second half portion defining a covering extension which lies over the first half portion of the other lid when in the body-covering position, wherein the upper edges of the end walls each define L-shaped recessed areas; said troughs of said lids having opposite ends thereof terminating over said recessed areas; said recessed areas each having a bottom wall provided with an opening therethrough.   
     
     
       2. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper edges of the end walls define a double wall; the opposite end edges of the lids having inverted U-shaped projections which fit over the double wall when the lids are in the body-covering position. 
     
     
       3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein the double walls and the U-shaped projections have openings in registry so as to allow insertion of a locking device therein. 
     
     
       4. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein each double wall of the end walls includes downwardly extended portions in the central area thereof defining handles for carrying the container. 
     
     
       5. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein each said end wall includes, on an outer face thereof, a protuberation defining a U-shaped configuration to receive a label carrying card therein; the upper edges of the end walls over said protuberations including a longitudinal card-inserting slot; said slot being covered by said inverted U-shaped projection of the opposite end edge of a lid when in the body-covering position. 
     
     
       6. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper edges of the side walls define a double wall. 
     
     
       7. A container as defined in claim 6, wherein said double wall includes water discharging holes. 
     
     
       8. A container as defined in claim 6, wherein the opposite end edges of the lids have a lip portion engaging a lower edge of an outer wall of said double wall to retain said lid when in the open position.